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The number of victims of intimacy violation in social networks is increasing every day. Revenge Porn is a crime that occurs when private photos or videos are posted on the internet without the consent of those portrayed. Often the offender’s intention is to avenge him- or herself on a partner who has terminated their relationship. The perpetrator remains anonymous while the victim gets cruelly exposed. The stigma remains forever in the victim’s life, causing irreparable damage. One victim compares this to ‘rape’, which is repeated every time their images are viewed. The effects on the victim are devastating and can lead to depression, social isolation, panic attacks and, in some cases, suicide. According to Katia Pessa, a psychologist with the NGO Marias of the Internet, the phenomenon can affect people of any gender, race, cultural level or intellectual or financial status. By attacking the victim’s identity, the perpetrator renders them vulnerable to blackmail and helpless as to what actions to take. Is there any punishment for the aggressor? The story I’m going to share is one of those stories that can make you sick. The victim describes the crime as an ‘open wound.’ It is the story of a dignified woman who inspired changes in the Brazilian law to include this type of crime. Rose Leonel, a journalist, mother of two children and founder of the NGO Marias of the Internet, became a victim of Revenge Porn when, at the end of a four-year relationship with a man she loved, had intimate pictures of herself spread on the internet by him. Mirna: You were a victim of Revenge Porn. How did this happen? Rose: In 2005 I decided to end a four-year relationship with a man I loved because of the way he treated my children. I could not stay in a relationship with a man who in public behaved like a perfect father but in private mistreated my children. As a mother, I could not tolerate that. A few days after the breakup he asked me to reconsider and I hesitated, for I still loved him. But I gathered courage and put an end to our relationship and told him that it was all over. He got very upset and I got worried at seeing the strong man who was normally in control of his emotions suddenly become unstable and threatening. We used to know each
other’s internet passwords and one night I accessed his e-mails and had a shock; I was terrified to find out that he was hiring a computer technician to have pictures of me published on the Internet. While they were negotiating terms and prices I consulted a lawyer, who told me that I could not sue him for a crime not yet committed and could only give him a warning. He was then notified that he would be criminally and civilly liable if he insisted on exposing me in any way. He got furious and started calling me constantly and threatening to expose and ultimately destroy me. He gave me the choice of going back to him or being ruined and declared that if I chose to leave him I would then not be with anyone else either. Mirna: What sort of material did he share? Rose: He planned everything in detail; he paid porn websites to publish intimate photos of us, uploaded and posted photos of me as if I were the one doing it. He advertised me as a prostitute online. He used websites and blogs from Brazil and also Holland, Portugal, US, Spain, and Germany. The photos were shared with more than 15 thousand people. He published new material weekly and also distributed printed material and CDs locally in the city where I lived. It was five years of systematic abuse. Mirna: What were the effects of this on your life? Rose: When I look back it seems to me that I lived through a horror story. I lost my job, my children suffered bullying, one of them was sent abroad for six years; they had their childhood stolen and I was robbed of a mother’s right to have a public life with her children. Everywhere I went I was sneered at. I suffered a process of social exclusion. I almost got lynched in the city where I lived. I suffered from deep depression, life became valueless. I do not know how I found the strength to go through it all. I suffered misinformation and prejudice from society. Those in power who were supposed to help me were ineffective and unsupportive. Mirna: How was the NGO Marias of the Internet created? Rose: The NGO stemmed from the need for an institution that could inform, guide, support, embrace and welcome and give 81
directions to victims of Revenge Porn. We provide legal counselling, digital expertise and psychological support to women going through those situations; it works as a bridge between cybercrime experts and victims. The NGO works in partnership with Apecof, Association of Forensic Experts, headquartered in Fortaleza but active throughout Brazil. Their highly trained professionals have helped us to investigate crimes, identify aggressors, and remove content from the Internet. They are essential to the challenge of fighting digital crime against women. Chaired by Dr Marcos Monteiro, Apecof’s contribution and partnership are essential in enabling the NGO to be successful. Mirna: What advice do you have for victims of Revenge Porn? Rose: No one wants to be the victim of such a crime, but if you do become one, try to remain calm. There is life after internet crime and I am proof of that. Step one: Do not erase what you see, no matter how hurtful it may be to you. Get all offending material printed and saved on different devices so you do not lose it. Immediately go to a notary’s office and make a certified record of the material. Copy and print as much as you can with a detailed description of the most compromising material. Then go to the police station and report the incident. Add the printed material as proof so that everything that has been published gets duly acknowledged. Consult a criminal lawyer and press charges. Often a digital expert’s report is required as evidence of facts to support the investigation. If you are in Brazil we are here to help you: www.mariasdainternet.com.br. In 2013, Rose Leonel started a fight aimed at protecting women victims of Revenge Porn. The new law proposed by deputy João Arruda was named after her; Bill 5,555 / 2013, PL Rose Leonel amends the Maria da Penha Law and imposes imprisonment for two to four years, plus a fine. Senator Gleisi Hoffman has also suggested amendments to the Brazilian Criminal Code so that, in crimes related to the exposure of sexual intimacy, criminal action is public and conditional on representation.
